


new dawn

by alleured



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst, M/M, idk how to tag this-, takes place in heroes, technically a universe hopping au????
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:21:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26135674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alleured/pseuds/alleured
Summary: HisDimitri had died at Grondr field.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 4
Kudos: 129





	new dawn

**Author's Note:**

> first work for fe! honestly didn't want it to be 3h related but this...would not leave me alone lol  
> title is kinda like.......claude's always on abt fódlan's new dawn,,,... i do not know
> 
> i started writing this the day their cyl units were added to heroes--forging bonds made me feel smth
> 
> tips on characterisation are always welcome!

Askr, and the Summoner, was a wonder. Claude had been doing mindless tasks when he’d suddenly been engulfed in light and...transported to a new world. To be honest, he didn’t  _ want _ to involve himself in another war, but he was  _ needed _ and that was enough for Claude.

So, he spent weeks with the Order of Heroes, fighting a war he didn’t belong in for a world he wasn’t supposed to  _ exist in _ .

At first, it was just him, but by the next summoning session, Lysithea was by his side. Her company was invaluable, considering the circumstances of being near so many unfamiliars—and even his past self. He yearned to warn them, to tell younger-Claude, younger-Lyisthea, every single one of the Garreg Mach students about the war that was inevitable, but Lysithea helped him keep his head.

So, he fought. He fought, mindful as ever and full of schemes and plans, as he had back in Fódlan. It was familiar, even if not completely. Even if Lysithea was the only company he had that could  _ completely _ understand his circumstances.

And then Edelgard was summoned.

Edelgard—there, breathing,  _ alive _ —had stood before him in the summoning room. He could only see her shock for a second before she turned away--he’d have to break that down later. She was dressed in the armor that he had... _ last _ seen her in, but she looked like she’d grown into it from  _ then _ to now.

After the summoning, it took Claude  _ weeks _ before he could corner Edelgard. Every time he thought he saw her, she was gone before he could approach.

In the end, he finally ran into her when walking around the grounds after a battle. Neither of them had been on the front lines, so Claude thought that a little, “how’s it going, Your Majesty?” couldn't hurt.

Edelgard wouldn’t look him in the eyes as she responded with a curt, “Claude.”

Really, he should have seen this attitude coming—they’d been on opposing sides of the war. They’d likely fought. She had probably…

“Now, now, Princess, is that any way to greet an old friend?” Expert liar that he was, keeping a joking tone was no problem. Even when Edelgard seemed to frown harder, Claude kept his smile. “How’re things in your world, Edelgard?”

Edelgard’s lips were set in a thin line as she looked away from him—really, had she looked at him  _ once _ since she’d been summoned? Her voice was firm as she responded: “You don’t have to play nice, Claude. I know that I would have...died for my ideals in your world.”

She always had been to-the-point. Claude smiled.

“Just making conversation. I can only assume that the reverse happened in your world.”

At first, Edelgard didn’t respond. She still wasn’t looking at him—it was almost as if she  _ couldn’t _ . Then, in a voice far too soft to be coming from Edelgard: “ _ You should have lived _ .”

It...shocked Claude.

“I tried to save you,” she emphasised. She still wasn’t looking at Claude, and he couldn’t tell whether he was glad for it or not. “The Professor—he  _ wanted _ to save you, as well, but I...I took  _ everything _ from you, Claude.” In a sudden movement, she was  _ looking at him _ , hand reached out as if to lay on his arm. “I...almost killed Lyisthea, before the Professor offered her a chance to join us. Hilda, Judith...they died for you, Claude. And I...I spared you, Claude. I took all of your friends, I took  _ everything _ from you, just to save you. And then…you were  _ helping Dimitri _ …I had to...I had to kill you  _ both _ , Claude.”

Claude...didn’t know how to respond. Instead, he took her outstretched hand, pulling her close. They’d never done it during their time at the academy, but...Edelgard  _ regretted _ the lives she took for her ideals. She did what she needed to do, and Claude could see and hear the proof of that burden in her eyes and voice.

“It’s okay. I’m sure if, in the end, there was something after death...Dimitri and I would be together.”

He felt, more than heard, Edelgard’s answering sob.

—

Claude had been wandering again when it happened. When Lysithea, out of breath from running, had called out to him.

“Claude,” she’d all but yelled, face red and voice strained. “It’s him.”

Claude’s breath had caught in his throat. He’d never run anywhere faster than he’d run to the summoning room in that moment. Because it was  _ him _ . Because he was going to see  _ Dimitri  _ again after so long.

Normally, nobody was allowed to enter the summoning room during the summoning--only before or after. But Claude didn’t  _ care _ . He threw the door open with so much force that the Summoner almost dropped their device (and, suddenly, Claude was grateful that they weren’t in the middle of a summon, or he’d be in  _ trouble _ ). Sure enough, Dimitri was standing there.

Claude was running to hug him before he could stop himself, tears forming in his eyes as he went.

It was  _ Dimitri _ , the man he’d loved with his  _ everything  _ before the war. Dimitri,  _ alive _ and  _ well _ and Claude was going to cause a massive fuss for the people of Askr, but he didn’t care at the moment. The only thing that mattered was that he had his arms around  _ Dimitri _ and  _ Dimitri _ had his arms around  _ him _ and he was  _ warm _ and  _ alive _ .

The tears fell before he could stop them. They fell fast, turning into loud sobs before he could stop himself.

Claude was not good with vulnerability, especially around as many people as were in the summoning room. But he had trusted Dimitri with his life (and then some), so he didn’t try to hide himself.

“I missed you,” he mumbled between sobs. “I missed you, I missed you,  _ I love you _ , I missed you  _ so much _ .”

To his credit, Dimitri didn’t say anything--he just ran one hand through Claude’s hair while the other rubbed his back in a gesture of comfort, because this wasn’t  _ his _ Dimitri.

_ This wasn’t his Dimitri _ .

At the thought, Claude pulled back with a start. He didn’t waste any time escaping from the room, embarrassed.

He’d  _ run at _ and  _ expressed his love _ for a Dimitri that  _ wasn’t his _ . Because  _ his _ Dimitri had died at Grondr field. Edelgard’s army had made sure of it.

—

“Claude.”

Claude had to stop himself from running as soon as he heard Dimitri’s voice. As it was, he could barely bring himself to face the man.

“What can I help you with, Your Majesty?” Claude pretended that there wasn’t a shakiness to his tone.

Dimitri stared him down for a second, seemingly studying him. When he was done, he spoke, “you’re not  _ my _ Claude.”

_ His _ Claude. Did that mean that they’d been... _ involved  _ in Dimitri’s world, too. Did Dimitri have a version of Claude that he loved as much as _ Claude’s _ Dimitri had loved  _ him _ ?

“Afraid not, my dear Dimitri,” Claude responded, putting his thoughts to the side for the moment. Dimitri frowned.

“Did something... _ happen _ to the me in your world?” The question was asked carefully—probably so he didn’t set Claude off again and recreate the scene in the summoning room. But Claude knew what he was asking.

“You were... _ insane _ ,” he started with, breathing a heavy sigh. “At Grondr, you weren’t in the right state of mind. You saw Edelgard and...chased her down before anyone could stop you. You...you  _ died _ there, Dimitri. We didn’t even know you were alive  _ before _ Grondr.” Claude stopped talking briefly to wipe tears threatening to spill from his eyes. “You came back to me only to be taken away right after.”

Dimitri’s arms were around him before he could process him moving.

“I’m sorry.” Dimitri’s voice was soft; gentle against Claude’s hair. “I can only imagine how hard that must be for you.”

Claude wanted to laugh. Dimitri’s entire family had been slaughtered and his step-sister— _ who didn’t remember that they were related _ —had started a war that took even  _ more _ from him, and here he was saying he can’t understand what  _ Claude _ went through.

Claude took a step back, out of Dimitri’s arms.

“I have to ask,” he started, forcing himself to look at Dimitri. “Were we... _ together _ in your world, too?”

A soft smile made its way to Dimitri’s lips. “Too?” he asked, voice as soft as it had been moments ago. Dimitri lifted a hand, removing his gauntlet from it. A ring sat on his finger, surprisingly simplistic. “We married after the war ended.”

Claude couldn’t help it—he  _ cried. _ Even if it wasn’t his universe, there  _ was _ a universe where he and Dimitri could be happy together.

“Was it wrong of me to tell you?” Dimitri sounded distressed.

“No! No it wasn’t!” Claude’s words were rushed, quick to leave his mouth and  _ loud. _ Quiter, he added, “it makes me  _ happy _ knowing that we can just...exist together, somewhere.”

Through his tears, he smiled at Dimitri. A  _ genuine _ smile, because he was telling the truth.

Even though  _ his _ Dimitri had died at Grondr, died at the hands of the Empire, there was a universe where he  _ didn’t _ . There was a universe where they could be happy— _ together. _


End file.
